Where should I stay for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia?

Dates, host cities and stadiums

The first 24-team Rugby World Cup opens with Australia v Hong Kong China at Perth Stadium on 1 October 2027 and ends with the final at Stadium Australia, Sydney, on Saturday 13 November 2027, per World Rugby. The knockout schedule published by World Rugby and the unions (kick-offs are local time):

• Round of 16, 23 and 24 October: Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Football Stadium (two each).

• Quarter-finals, 30 and 31 October: two at Brisbane Stadium and two at Stadium Australia.

• Semi-finals: Friday 5 November and Saturday 6 November, both 20:00, Stadium Australia.

• Bronze final: Friday 12 November, 19:45, Stadium Australia.

• Final: Saturday 13 November, 20:00, Stadium Australia.

The host stadiums: Stadium Australia (sold commercially as Accor Stadium, about 80,000) and Sydney Football Stadium (Allianz Stadium, 42,500) in Sydney; Perth Stadium; Brisbane Stadium (Suncorp Stadium); Docklands Stadium in Melbourne (Marvel Stadium, with its roof closed for all matches); Adelaide Oval; Newcastle Stadium; and North Queensland Stadium in Townsville. The MCG is not used. Capacity figures vary between reports; these are World Rugby's and press figures.

Getting to Stadium Australia

Stadium Australia is in Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, in the middle of metropolitan Sydney rather than the harbour centre. For big events, Transport for NSW runs express trains from Central to Olympic Park station, with frequent return services after the match, and a shuttle from Lidcombe Platform 0 to Olympic Park every 10 minutes. From Olympic Park station the stadium is about a 10-minute walk.

For recent Wallabies and NRL fixtures at the stadium, match tickets have included public transport on Opal services. Whether Rugby World Cup tickets will do the same had not been announced when we checked, so read the ticket terms; if not, tap on with a contactless card or Opal.

Do not plan to drive. Parking at Olympic Park on major event days is limited, and the roads out after a 20:00 kick-off are slow. Driving between host cities is a different matter; see our driving in Australia guide.

Sydney: where to stay, ranked by travel time to the stadium

1. Sydney Olympic Park. A handful of hotels and serviced apartments within walking distance of the stadium. You walk home after a 20:00 final while everyone else queues for trains. Price level: normally mid-range; on final weekend these are the first rooms to go and the most likely to carry event pricing. The catch: it is a sports and business precinct, quiet outside events, with little to do on the other days.

2. Parramatta. Sydney's second CBD, west of Olympic Park, with plenty of hotels, restaurants along Church Street and its own riverside. Trains run to Lidcombe for the Olympic Park shuttle. Price level: mid-range, usually below the harbour CBD. The catch: a change at Lidcombe after the match, and it is a long way from the harbour for the rest of your trip.

3. Strathfield and Burwood. Inner-west suburbs on the main line through Lidcombe, with mid-range hotels and some of Sydney's best Korean and Chinese food. Price level: budget to mid-range. The catch: suburban, and you still change trains for Olympic Park.

4. Sydney CBD and Haymarket (near Central). The harbour, the Opera House, the ferries, the most hotels in the country, and the express event trains from Central. Haymarket and Surry Hills are walking distance to Central and cheaper than Circular Quay. Price level: mid to high. The catch: the longest ride of the four, and the post-match train back is the busiest.

If you are in Sydney for the semi-finals and the final, staying for the week in the CBD and going out to Olympic Park three times is reasonable. If you are only in for the final, Olympic Park or Parramatta makes match night easy.

The other host cities, briefly

Brisbane (pool matches, two round of 16, two quarter-finals). Brisbane Stadium (Suncorp) is in Milton, within walking distance of the CBD and close to Paddington. Stay in the CBD or South Bank and walk.

Melbourne (pool matches and two round of 16). Docklands Stadium is next to Southern Cross station on the CBD's western edge, so any CBD hotel works; Docklands itself is walking distance. Melbourne hosts the Scotland v Uruguay opener on 3 October. Our Melbourne guide covers the city; we spent 4 days there in January 2023.

Perth (opening match and two round of 16). Perth Stadium is in Burswood, across the Swan River from the CBD, with a dedicated stadium station and a footbridge from East Perth. Stay in the CBD or East Perth.

Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville (pool matches). Adelaide Oval is a walk from the city centre over the river; in Newcastle, stay near the city centre or the beaches and use event transport; in Townsville, North Queensland Stadium is on the edge of the CBD by the Ross River. Townsville is also the gateway to Magnetic Island, where we spent 3 days in February 2023.

Flights between host cities are long: Perth to Sydney is a cross-continent flight. Group your matches by city where the draw allows, and see best time to visit Australia for October and November weather around the country.

Tickets, booking timing and entry

World Rugby ran a registered-fan presale in February 2026 and a ballot application window that closed on 2 June 2026, according to Australian rugby bodies' ticketing notices. Adult tickets started at A$40 for pool matches and A$65 for Wallabies matches, with children's tickets from A$20 for everything except the semi-finals and final. Check rugbyworldcup.com for any remaining sales and the official resale platform.

We have no sourced data on hotel prices for the final, so this is general advice: book a free-cancellation room in Sydney for 12 and 13 November now, and adjust once you know which matches you hold. The semi-finals (5 and 6 November) make a week in Sydney easy to justify.

Almost every visitor needs a visa or ETA before flying to Australia; see do I need a visa for Australia and the ETA app guide. Spring in Sydney can still be cool at night, so pack layers: what to pack for Australia. For bars and restaurants, tipping in Australia is short: it is optional.

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